


Sugar and Spies

by alynwa



Series: Sugar and Spies Tales [1]
Category: Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-24
Updated: 2012-08-23
Packaged: 2017-11-12 18:26:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/494295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alynwa/pseuds/alynwa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a successful mission, Illya and Napoleon come across something completely unexpected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Napoleon Solo was feeling overheated and grumpy. His clothing was soaked with sweat, his canteen was almost out of water and he was starting to feel hungry. He wiped sweat out of his eyes and cast a sidelong glance at his partner, who was trudging along right behind his right shoulder. He scowled and thought, _At least he could look as miserable as I feel!_ He opened his mouth to say as much, but the Russian pointed his finger at his face, causing him to shut it.

 

“Napoleon,“ Illya warned, “don’t you dare start your complaining again! The mission was a success, the satrap is destroyed and we are unharmed for a change. It is truly unfortunate that the jeep did not survive the explosions but, we did, so excuse me if I’m not upset. Considering who said the jeep was safe where it was, maybe _I_ should be the one complaining about walking halfway across South Korea to meet the chopper. But, I think walking to the extraction point is a small price to pay.” His hair was limp with perspiration and he pushed it away from his face in exasperation.

 

Napoleon grunted and decided it was counterproductive to pick a fight with Illya, especially since he _had_ been the one to say the jeep was far enough away from the compound and would be fine. _How was I supposed to know my efficient Russian partner had decided to add a few more charges “just to make sure?”_ The resultant explosions set fire to the surrounding forest and immolated the jeep before they could save it; so they were forced to walk. Fortunately, they had blown the satrap before dawn, so it wasn’t as hot as it was going to get yet and they had taken their canteens out of the vehicle at the last minute before going in to set the charges. Instead, he asked, “How much farther to the rendezvous point?”

 

Illya stopped to consult his map and catch his breath. “Eight more miles,” he answered, “I believe we are actually ahead of schedule. There’s a small village directly on the way about three miles ahead. I think we should be able to get food and water there. I have five thousand _won_ in my pocket. We’ll be able to pay for supplies.” He had caught back up to Napoleon and fallen back in step.

 

Napoleon whistled and said, “I’m impressed. How much is that in American money?”

 

The blond smiled. “Don’t be, it’s only thirty – nine dollars and fifty cents. Honestly, Napoleon, you don’t speak the language and you can’t calculate the currency exchange rate. What good are you on this mission anyway?”

 

Napoleon just looked over his shoulder and laughed at the jibe. It was really good to have Illya at his side. It never ceased to amaze him how smoothly they worked together, like a well – oiled machine. Illya Kuryakin was truly the best partner he had never wished for and the best friend he had ever had. “Just shut – up and walk.”

MFUMFUMFUMFUMFUMFU

 

They had arrived in the village a little before noon. As they had expected, there weren’t too many men around; they were either fishing the nearby river or farming in the fields. The women were understandably nervous to see strangers but, Illya was able to convince them that they only wanted to wash up and get something to eat. When he showed some of the money he had and said he was willing to pay anyone who helped them, they immediately had three women preparing food for them and offering them basins of water to clean themselves.

 

They had washed up, eaten a meal of rice and vegetables and filled their canteens. The women had wanted five hundred won each, Illya gave them six. They were just about to be on their way when Illya noticed a small child, approximately two years old, come from behind a hut. The little girl was naked, dirty and looked ill – fed. Her hair was matted and she was holding what looked like a red magic marker. She meandered into the middle of what passed as the main road, sat down and started to draw on her skin. The Russian had gotten his partner’s attention when no one seemed to show any interest in what the child was doing. Illya was appalled.

 

“누구의 아이가 이것을 무엇입니까? _Whose child is this?_ ” he called out. When no one answered, he walked over to the little girl and picked her up. “그녀의 어머니는 어디입니까? _Where is her mother?_ ” He looked at the eldest of the three women who had fed them for answers. She starting speaking and the normally reserved Russian’s face took on such a look of horror that Napoleon stood up and joined him in the road.

 

He touched the arm that held the little girl to Illya’s chest and when the woman stopped talking, he asked softly, “What’s going on?”

 

“Her mother is dead. Her pimp killed her a few days ago. Her father was a Negro American soldier. She’s an outcast, Napoleon. No one has fed her or cared for her since her mother’s death. The woman said she was using the marker to draw clothing on her body.” Illya hugged the girl tighter. “I can’t leave her here. She’ll be lucky if she just starves to death. If she’s unlucky, she might be sold as a sex toy.”

 

Napoleon looked askance at the man and child in front of him. “You want to bring her with us?”

 

Illya stared back. “Do you want to leave her here?” When his partner shook his head, Illya handed her to him and said, “Hold her, please.” The Russian agent reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. “난이 아이에 대한 나를 비누와 물, 깨끗한 옷을과 우유를 가져다 사람에게 모두 돈을 줄 것이다! 서둘러, 우리는 곧 떠나야주세요! _I will give all this money to whoever brings me soap and water, clean clothes and milk for this baby! Hurry please, we must leave soon!_ ”

 

The small group of women who had gathered when Illya had picked up the little girl came to life. One woman ran to her hut and returned with a bottle of canned milk and some clothing. Another brought a basin of soapy water and a washcloth. Illya divided the money he had in his hand and gave each woman half. 

 

Napoleon tested the temperature of the water with his elbow and then lowered the little girl into the water and held her while his partner gently, but quickly, bathed her and washed her hair. The little girl looked from one to the other with large brown eyes. She appeared to be unafraid. She smiled when she reached out to grab Illya’s nose and he pretended to bite her. “Illya, when did you learn how to handle and bathe a child?” asked Napoleon.

 

“When I was in the orphanages, the older children were expected to help with the younger ones. I was bathing babies when I was seven years old. What about you? How did you know to test the water with your elbow?”

 

“I watched my sister do it when her kids were younger.” Napoleon looked behind Illya and said, “It would seem that someone else is trying to curry favor with the crazy man who’s giving away money.” The blond turned to see a woman approaching with a towel and some diapers. He reached in his pocket and gave her some money and then took the towel, held it up and signaled Napoleon to hand him the child. He dried her off then laid her on the towel and diapered her. He pulled the pink cotton dress he had bought over her head, picked her up and handed her back to his partner. The women who had stayed to observe all of this burst into applause, chatter and laughter that caused the Russian to blush to the roots of his hair. Napoleon smiled his most charming smile and whispered out the side of his mouth, “What was _that_ all about?”

 

Illya shrugged and answered, “They are not used to seeing men extend this level of care to children. They think we must be ‘women – men.’ We need to get ready to leave. We have to meet the chopper in five hours.” He placed the extra diapers and clothing in the towel and tied the ends together so that it hung off his back. He handed a canteen to Napoleon and placed his on his shoulder. He was just about to take the toddler back from his partner when he noticed three men about seventy feet away. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he moved instinctively in front of Napoleon and the little girl. He said quietly, “Protect her and don’t let her see what is happening.”

 

The man standing in the middle was looking straight at them. He said, “그 여자는 내 속성입니다. 그녀의 어머니는 나를 위해 일했다. 나는 그녀를 위해 구매자가 있다. 지상에 그녀를 넣어 하 고 도보로 멀리 그리고 거기 아무 문제가 있을 거 야. 나는 그녀를 청소 하는 당신을 이해 한다. 그 게 그녀의 가치를 몇 가지 더 원. _That girl is my property. Her mother worked for me. I have a buyer for her. Put her on the ground and walk away and there'll be no trouble. I do appreciate you cleaning her up. That makes her worth a few more won._ ”

 

The Russian had noted that the two men flanking the pimp were armed but had not removed their guns from their waistbands. He knew they were dead men. He held his hands out to his side and said, “괜 찮 아 요. 내 친구는 한국어를 이야기 하지 않습니다 그래서 나에 게 무엇을 해야할지 말해 순간. _Alright. My friend does not speak Korean so give me a moment to tell him what to do._ ” 

 

Illya turned around to Napoleon, said “Duck,” then pulled his Special, spun around and shot Middle Man’s backup. His third shot caught the pimp between the eyes. He reached his left hand behind him to help his partner get up while continuing to scan the village for any new threats. He called out, “나는 내 딸이이 아이 주장. 다른 사람이 그것에 문제가 있나요? _I claim this child as my daughter. Does anyone else have a problem with that?_ ” The answering silence was deafening. “Let’s go, Napoleon,” he said as he pointed out which way to go. “I’ll follow you at a slight distance to make sure we’re not followed.”

 

MFUMFUMFUMFUMFUMFUMFUMFUMFU

 

They walked for more than an hour in silence; Illya had been clearing a path for them. The little girl had fallen asleep in Napoleon’s arms. The brunet man adjusted his hold on her and asked, “Are you going to tell me why there are three dead men in that village and why we’re not being followed?”

 

Illya stopped and took the little girl back. She sighed and settled into his arms as if she had always rested there. “Timing is truly everything, Napoleon. The man speaking to me was her mother’s pimp. He said he had a buyer for the girl and you should put her down and we should walk away. Since we had her first, I objected.”

 

Napoleon snorted. “You _objected?_ Is that what you’re calling it now? What did you say to the villagers after you… objected?”

 

To Napoleon’s shock, Illya leaned down and kissed the child’s forehead. “I told them that this little one is now my daughter. No one had a problem with that.”

 

Napoleon stopped dead in his tracks. “You _what?_ ”

 

Illya’s face broke into a half – smile and he lifted the sleeping child slightly and said, “Congratulate me, it’s a girl. What shall I name her?”

 

“You can’t be thinking of keeping her! It’s not possible!”

 

“Anything is possible but, in any event, she needs a name. If she had one before, the women that helped us didn’t tell me what it was. So, help me decide what her name will be.”

 

Napoleon took the child back and tilted his head to signal that Illya should take the lead walking. After a few moments, he said, “Well, since I’m your best friend and your senior agent, I think you should name her after me.”

 

Illya turned around so that his partner could see him roll his eyes. He groaned, “Napoleonia? Who do you hate more: Me or the child?”

 

The American laughed then noticed that the toddler had awakened and was watching him. He smiled at her and said, “I was thinking about ‘Leona.’” The little girl smiled and Napoleon was delighted. “She likes that name!”

 

The Russian kept them moving forward. “If I agree to ‘Leona,’ I need to pick her middle name. I think she looks like a Nicole.”

 

Napoleon thought about it and nodded, “Yes, Leona for me and Nicole for Nickovetch. Leona Nicole,” he cooed and the baby laughed. “Leona Nicole Kuryakin.” 

 

Illya smiled and shook his head. “Number one, her last name would be Kuryakina if I gave her that name. Number two, she can’t have that name because it would create a link to me and that would be dangerous for her. I want her to have a Korean middle name also and, I have an idea for her last name. I think you’ll like it.”

 

They had made it to the rendezvous point with about an hour to spare. They found a defensible spot to wait and after securing their perimeter, they sat in the shade awaiting their ride. Leona Nicole was perfectly happy bouncing on her “father’s” knee to the beat of the Russian children’s song Illya was singing to her.

 

His American partner sat with his back to them, the better to protect their position and look for the chopper. “OK, Partner Mine, tell me what our daughter’s full name is going to be.”

Illya stopped singing and bouncing. “ _Our_ daughter?” He echoed.

 

Napoleon turned and looked at his partner. “Yes, our daughter,” he repeated. “We’re partners; if you claim her, I’m with you one hundred percent. If for some bizarre reason, the Old Man lets you keep her, I guess we’ll raise her together. So, I ask again: What is her full name?”

 

Illya stood Leona up on his thigh and said, “Agent Napoleon Solo, it is my pleasure to present Miss Leona Nicole Hyun Reilly. Hyun means ‘wise’ and Reilly is…”

 

“My middle name. I love it,” the American said, “But, why?”

 

“As I told you, Leona would be in danger if she had my last name or yours for that matter. Your middle name makes a good last name and best of all, not everyone knows what your middle name is.”

 

Napoleon’s smile lit up his face. “I really like it and I’m honored that you value our friendship enough to give this little girl a variation of my name. Whatever the outcome, whatever the Old Man decides, I’ll never forget it.” He looked away and wiped his eyes. “Illya, look! It’s the chopper!” He stood and waved his arms to get the pilot’s attention, then turned to his partner who was covering Leona’s ears. “Let’s go home and see what adventures this little girl is going to get us into.”

 

The Russian stood and gathered Leona into his arms. “Let’s go.”


	2. Chapter 2

Mr. Waverly was annoyed with himself. He tamped his favorite tobacco blend into his current favorite pipe, a Half – bent Dublin. He was standing looking out his office window at the Manhattan skyline but, not really seeing it. He fished around in his pockets for his matches to no avail. He sighed in a combination of displeasure and frustration and then returned to his desk where he sat and picked up the matchbook from his desk blotter. He lit his pipe but, instead of the momentary relaxation he usually felt, he just felt disquiet. 

 

He was expecting Mssrs. Solo and Kuryakin at 10AM to discuss their last affair’s report and had ordered them to bring the child. He was planning to tell them what he had decided. The problem and the reason for his annoyance was that he had not, as yet, reached a final decision.

 

Their mission had been to obtain the plans for THRUSH’s latest weapon and then destroy the South Korean satrap that had been built especially to house the lab where the weapon was being manufactured. As was expected of his most successful team, they managed to achieve their objectives and remain alive, even though they accidentally destroyed their jeep in the process and therefore, had to walk to meet the helicopter at the extraction point. It was during that trek that they encountered a young orphan that Mr. Kuryakin determined would be in imminent danger if she were left behind, so he and Mr. Solo brought her to the rendezvous with the chopper and subsequently, on to New York.

 

Upon arriving at UNCLE headquarters, Mr. Solo had reported directly to Mr. Waverly for debriefing while Mr. Kuryakin had taken the girl to Medical for a checkup. Mr. Solo had requested and been granted a week’s vacation for both he and his partner. When he had finished his verbal report, he relieved Mr. Kuryakin in Medical so that he could type up the written report and deliver it to the Section One Chief. He had left the report with Mr. Waverly’s secretary because the Old Man had been on a conference call with the other Continental Chiefs.

 

Officially, Mr. Waverly did not approve of, or listen to, gossip or rumor mongering. Unofficially, Miss Rogers kept him abreast of all water cooler topics. It added to his mystique that he always seemed to know about everything that went on in HQ, from Del Floria’s flirting with the widow who lived around the corner to which agents were dating which secretaries. For the past week, the usual lurid tales of sex and romance had taken a back seat to a little half – Korean, half – American Negro two year old girl and the Section Two CEA and his Russian partner who seemed to have fallen in love with her. Leona Nicole, as they had named her, had made two appearances in UNCLE HQ; her initial visit to Medical and her follow up visit three days later. Mr. Waverly was well aware that most of the single, female UNCLE employees have always practically swooned at the sight of his top two agents, a fact that his CEA likes to use to his advantage though Mr. Kuryakin very rarely indulges himself. But apparently, seeing the two men in parenting mode now had these same women virtually throwing themselves at their feet. He knew that UNCLE’s grapevine was fast but, when it came to Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin, it operated at the speed of light. Both times she was in Medical; women from all over the building arrived presenting with headaches, cramps, aggravated carpal tunnel syndrome or just general malaise, anything that would give them an excuse to go see a doctor or nurse. The medical staff was entertained watching each woman make sure she spoke with one or both of the agents to comment on how cute the child was or to offer to babysit and/or shop for her.

 

Mr. Waverly extinguished his pipe and sighed heavily. He had hoped that Mr. Solo would have convinced Mr. Kuryakin that the best thing they could do for this little girl is hand her over to the City of New York’s Department of Children’s Services for placement in foster care. Dr. James had told Mr. Waverly that while Mr. Solo was affectionate toward Leona, it was Mr. Kuryakin who was completely besotted with her. He had known the young Russian man before his CEA did; indeed, he had made the decision to pair them in the field because he knew their strengths complemented each other. He also knew that Mr. Kuryakin was not the glacial Ice Prince he pretended to be but rather, a man of deep emotions and passions. _He has lost much in his lifetime. If he has truly bonded with this child_ , he thought, _losing her might break him. He would still perform his job effectively but, a part of him would be irrevocably damaged. And, how would that affect his partnership with Mr. Solo?_ His thoughts were interrupted by the buzz of the intercom. He pushed a button and said, “Yes, what is it, Miss Rogers?”

 

“Mr. Waverly, Agents Solo and Kuryakin are here as is Miss Reilly.”

 

“Very good. Send them in, Miss Rogers.”

 

The door slid open revealing his agents. Mr. Solo walked in first and sat in his usual place. Mr. Kuryakin was looking down and shuffling his legs. The table blocked his view but, Mr. Waverly knew from doing it with his own children and grandchildren that the Russian was “herding” the toddler into the room. He bent down and quickly picked the girl up and moved toward his seat where he sat with the girl on his lap. “Good morning, Sir,” they said in unison.

 

“Good morning, Gentlemen. Let’s get on with it, shall we? Introduce me to Miss Leona Nicole and let’s talk about her future.” The Old Man watched as his Russian agent glanced quickly at his partner, and then nodded. 

 

He lifted Leona up, smiled at her, pointed at his boss and said, “Leona, he is Mr. Waverly. 인사. Say hello.” He placed her on the table and then slowly began to rotate it. She laughed when Napoleon stuck his tongue out at her and blew a quick kiss as she glided past. Illya continued to move the tabletop until she was sitting directly in front of the Continental Chief. 

 

She was tickled at the ride around the room and giggled at the old, strange man in front of her. She wasn’t afraid at all and reached out to be held. To the agents’ surprise, Mr. Waverly picked Leona up and stood her on his leg. She grabbed his nose and he laughed and grinned at her.

 

“Leona has a predilection for pulling people’s noses,” Illya said solemnly. 

 

Remembering the young men sitting opposite him, he harrumphed to regain his dignity and sat her on the edge of the table. “Mr. Kuryakin, how is the young lady’s health?”

 

“Dr. James gave her a thorough examination. She was malnourished and dehydrated but, he said considering that she had received no care whatsoever for at least three days, she is in remarkably decent shape. She does not seem to have any developmental delays. In fact, he thinks she is quite bright. She already seems to understand a few English words. He’s not one of her favorite people, though. He drew blood from her and gave her four shots. I need to…” Illya corrected himself, “She’ll need to see a doctor in six weeks to get the rest of her immunizations. He said if Napoleon or I don’t hear from him it means nothing was wrong with the blood work.”

 

Mr. Waverly nodded and asked a question, certain he already knew the answer. “So, which one of you has been taking care of this little one?”

 

His Chief Enforcement Agent, who had been sitting quietly since coming into his office, leaned forward and replied, “Well, ah, both Mr. Kuryakin and I have been caring for Leona, Sir.”

 

Mr. Waverly raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Both of you? Do you think it’s good for her to be shuttled back and forth between your two apartments?”

 

Napoleon squirmed ever so slightly in his seat. Only Illya’s knowledge of his partner caused him to notice; Mr. Waverly noticed because his years in the Game totaled more than the combined ages of the men sitting in front of him. He placed Leona on his lap, spun his chair around so he could pluck his Woodstock pipe from the pipe holder that sat on the small file cabinet, handed it to the toddler and placed her on the rug. Confident that the girl was occupied for at least five minutes, he swung back around and laid his gaze upon the dark – haired agent. “Well, Mr. Solo?”

“As I said, Illya and I have both been caring for Leona. For the past week, they’ve, ah, been staying with me in the penthouse because it’s larger than his place.” Napoleon studied his boss closely to see how he took that news but, couldn’t get a read on him. _If the Old Man has a problem with us living together, then nothing we’ve planned will be able to happen._ When Mr. Waverly said nothing, he continued, “The main reason I requested a week’s leave was so that Illya and I could discuss the possibility of keeping Leona.” He looked at the Russian and thought, _It’s out there now, partner, there’s no going back_. Napoleon turned his attention back to his superior. “We know this situation is more than a little unusual but, we’ve given this a lot of thought.”

 

Mr. Waverly stared down at the little girl sitting quietly on his office’s carpet engrossed in playing with his pipe, his face an expressionless mask. “Have you now,” he replied in a dry voice. “Tell me what your thoughts are.” He gazed at both men expectantly.

 

Illya spoke up. “Mr. Waverly, this entire situation can be laid at my feet. I saw the girl in the village; I claimed her and brought her with us. I had the bad judgment to become attached to her. Her circumstances reminded me…” his voice trailed off. He took a deep breath and almost whispered, “I couldn’t leave her. On the trip back to New York, Napoleon tried to get me to voluntarily give Leona to Child Services but, I don’t believe that would be in her best interests.”

 

Napoleon broke in, “Sir, if you allow us to keep her, we would continue to live together, for lack of a better term. The penthouse next door to mine is for sale. I know the real estate agent and I convinced her to hold it until I let her know what I plan to do. I would tear down the wall separating the apartments and that would give us more than enough space to live comfortably.”

 

Illya elaborated, “We have ten more years before we age out of the field. We’ve spoken with Agent Greer of Section Three and his wife. They already have a four year old girl and they would be willing to keep Leona Nicole with them when we are on assignment. It would be good for her to live with a black family as that is half her heritage. We would each assign part of our pay to be directed to them to pay for her upkeep. We would obtain a birth certificate listing me as the father of record; my will would name Napoleon as guardian if he survived the field and I did not. We would change our wills so that If we…if we both were not to return, they would have guardianship of Leona and money to care for her until she was old enough to claim the inheritance we would leave her.”

 

Leona had managed to pull herself up while Illya was speaking and had walked to where Napoleon was sitting. She offered the pipe to him, which he took and placed on the table. “Thank you, Leona,” he said as he picked her up and hugged her. She put her thumb in her mouth and laid her head on his shoulder. He turned his head to kiss her gently.

 

Mr. Waverly harrumphed and leaned back in his chair. “Have either of you thought about how your proposed living arrangement might be perceived by your fellow agents and coworkers?”

 

Napoleon looked over Leona’s head at Illya before he spoke. “Sir, the _rumors_ about the ah, nature of Illya’s and my partnership have floated around UNCLE New York, and for all I know, all of UNCLE since we were first partnered. I’m sure there will be some who, if we’re allowed to do this, will be saying ‘I told you so’ and winning bets and office pools but, I’ve never cared to respond to the gossip and I certainly have never felt that I have to explain myself to anyone here, except you.” Napoleon thought, _Oh no, Mr. Waverly! That idea hadn’t occurred to me!_ With some trepidation, he inquired, “Ah, sir? May I ask you a question?” At the Old Man’s nod, he stated, “Everyone knows that Illya and I wouldn’t dare attempt this without your knowledge and permission. So, might you be concerned at all about how _you_ might be perceived by the organization if you were to give us a green light?” Out of the corner of his eye, Napoleon saw Illya pale slightly and sit even straighter, something he wouldn’t have thought possible. _It didn’t occur to you either, did it, Tovarisch?_

 

“I assure you, Mr. Solo, that _all_ my decisions are uninfluenced by what others may think of them or me. What does influence my thinking is what will be best for the personnel and organization of UNCLE. Mr. Kuryakin, if I were to permit this…adoption to happen, tell me: What would Leona’s life be like when you are not on a mission? What do you think you can do for her?”

 

Illya knew so much was riding on his answer. He gathered his thoughts and replied, “Agent Greer’s wife, Rosie, gave me the contact information for the daycare center their daughter attends; the center accepts two year olds and I have been assured there is room for her right now. I arrive at the office between 6:30 and 7AM. Napoleon comes in between 9AM and 10AM so we’ve agreed that he would drop her off and I would pick her up on the way home. She has her own bed now and would have her own room, both in the penthouse and with the Greers when necessary. I’ve been speaking to her in Korean, English and Russian. Napoleon speaks to her in English, French and Italian. We would continue to do so. We both want her to be multi – lingual, like we are.” Illya took a deep breath to steady himself and leaned forward to place his hands on the table. “Mr. Waverly, I want to say I did not bring Leona to New York to make her life harder. I do not know how or why it happened but, I loved her almost from the moment I first saw her. Napoleon has grown closer to her since deciding he wanted to be involved in raising her but, I would want to raise her even if he wanted nothing to do with her. We have taken good care of her, so far. I want her to be happy, healthy and well – cared for; I would do anything to make that happen even if, even if it means I have to give her up. I promise you, Sir, if I cannot be an effective agent _and parent_ , I will let the Greers adopt her. Napoleon and I have already discussed this with them and they are in agreement.” The Russian’s face worked itself back into its unreadable state but, both Mr. Waverly and his partner had seen the emotions that Illya now suppressed.

 

The Old Man was quiet for so long, Illya was certain he had failed in his attempt to convince him. _Well_ , he thought, _Rosie and Lamont will give her a good life and I will be able to take comfort in the fact that she is not going to have the life her mother had. I am going to miss…_ ”

“Mr. Kuryakin, did you not hear me?”

 

“Sir?”

 

Mr. Waverly rotated the table to reclaim the pipe he had allowed Leona to play with earlier. “I said, Agent Kuryakin, that I intend to hold you to your promise.” He smiled inwardly at the way the Russian’s eyes widened before he regained his composure. “All of your plans regarding the child sound good, Gentlemen. You may proceed with them but, do understand that I will be reviewing your work and your missions closely and if either of you do not operate up to your usual standards…”

 

Napoleon spoke up, “I will, as CEA, ensure that that does not happen. Thank you, Mr. Waverly.”

 

Illya had gotten over his shock enough to echo his partner. “Yes, thank you, Sir.”

 

Mr. Waverly reached for his humidor and his Half – bent Dublin. “You’re quite welcome. I suggest that you go to Personnel and file all the necessary changes in to your records and then head to Legal to draw up your wills. Mr. Kuryakin, they will also draw up an Adoptive Birth Certificate. After that, drop your daughter at daycare and report to the labs. Mr. Solo, there are a weeks’ worth of agents’ reports awaiting your review and signature. Have a good day.” He turned around and picked up papers to peruse, effectively dismissing them.

 

“Yes, Sir. Have a good day.” Illya stood and took the still sleeping child from his partner and headed toward the door with his partner close behind. 

 

MFUMFUMFUMFUMFUMFUMFUMFU

 

Later that evening, as Leona slept peacefully in her bed, Napoleon and Illya sat in the living room, each with a drink in hand contemplating how much their lives had changed in eight days. Illya stretched and commented, “I didn’t dare to think this before but, I want Leona to call me ‘Papa.’”

 

Napoleon smiled and replied, “Good, because I plan to be ‘Daddy.’”

 

“Thank you, Napoleon. I don’t think the Old Man would have approved of me keeping Leona if you had not been onboard with the idea. That means a lot to me.”

 

“You’re welcome, partner. Are you going to tell me what it was about that little girl’s plight that resonated with you so strongly that we are parents now?”

 

Illya smiled and sipped his vodka. “That is a story for another day, my friend.”


End file.
